Lady Rams still in playoff hunt

It has been an up-and-down season on the hardwood for the West Hempstead girls in 2014-15. A lack of consistency, mainly on the offensive end of the floor, has made life tough and wins hard to come by for the Rams. 

While West Hempstead has had a difficult time finding the bottom of the net, victories over a pair of playoff-bound opponents have left the Rams in position to be battling for a spot in the postseason as they enter the final week of the regular season. The team stands at 4-6 in Conference A-V with two games to play. 

A 37-27 victory over Clarke in mid-January capped off a run that saw the Rams win three of four league games over a 10-day period. Taylor Greaves scored 13 points as West Hempstead exacted a little revenge on a Clarke team that got the best of the Rams when the teams met back in December.

Head coach Chris Van Kovics hopes his team can play its best ball as the postseason nears. “We have to find a way to get good looks at the basket, and get more shots off,” Van Kovics said. “We’ve struggled in the half court all season long. We’ve shown that we can hang in there with some tough teams, but we haven’t been able to find the consistency that we need. Hopefully, we’ve got a few good ones in us.”

As expected, Kayla Cleare has been West Hempstead’s go-to girl. The 6-foot center is averaging 16.1 points per game, including a 30-point effort in a 62-52 road win over Locust Valley. Greaves added 18 points for the Rams in the win. 

While Cleare is responsible for the lion’s share of the team’s scoring, senior captain Ellen Murphy is West Hempstead’s heart and soul. Murphy has been called on to play the point, shooting guard, and isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint.

Van Kovics is quick to make note of Murphy’s impact on the team. “Ellen might not score a ton of points, but she does a little of everything on the court,” Van Kovics said. “She does everything that she is asked to do, and always put the team first. When others have been out of the lineup or in foul trouble, she’s been asked to play just about everywhere on the court. She leads by example. It’s been a pleasure to watch her grow throughout the years.”

The Rams, who have lost their past three contests, pulled off a big upset early on in the season when Seaford came to town. Behind balanced scoring and clutch free-throw shooting from Cleare, the Rams built a double-digit lead, and held on for a 37-32 win. The Lady Vikings are 8-2 in league play. 

The Rams will travel to Mineola before closing out their regular season at home against Friends Academy on Monday at 6:30 p.m.